When All is Lost
by thisaintroscoe
Summary: Jake's increasing apathy irritates Finn horribly. He snaps and kicks Jake out for good. What will happen when Finn tries to find his friend? To whom will he turn? Intrigued yet? Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

4

**Author's note**: I am in no way associated with Adventure Time. I do not own any characters or otherwise. This is the first story I have ever submitted anywhere, and also my first fanfiction, AT or otherwise. Please feel free to PM or comment or whatever, and be as mean/harsh as you want. It won't bother me.

"JAKE!" What the plop are you doing?!" shouted Finn the human, watching as his dog and best friend, Jake, sat on the couch playing a video game.

"I'm playin' Beemo, can't ya see?" Now ssshh, I'm goin' for the high score." Jake waved impatiently and immediately turned his attention back to the screen.

"Dude, didn't you listen to me!?" Finn's voice rose to an even greater volume. "There's a flippin' huge mean pumpkin monster in Candy Kingdom going around snapping peeps up! We gotta go stop it!" He jumped up and down, gesticulating furiously at Jake.

"Eh, maybe later," said the dog, yawning, "I don't really feel like it right now… Kinda tired."

"What is up with you, man?" Finn's anger was building. Jake had never been quite as adventurous and excitable as Finn, but his apathy had been getting worse lately. He refused to move, except for the most serious problems and even then Finn wound up doing most of the work. Finn was getting tired of it, and even though Jake was his best friend (and his brother, technically), he couldn't take it anymore.

"Mhm, cool," said Jake, oblivious.

Finn strode decisively across the room and pushed Beemo's power button, shutting down Jake's game.

Jake looked up, outraged. "Glob, Finn, I was almost gonna get a high score," he whined, "Now I have to start all over…" He stretched his arm out to press the power button and restart the game, too lazy to get up off the couch to do so, but Finn slapped his hand away.

The only other time Finn had gotten truly angry at his friend, it had also been over a video game. He and Jake had been doing intense physical training to defeat a powerful enemy called the Farm- a feat which would earn them tremendous respect and bragging rights- but Jake had decided it was more important to maintain his high rank in _Compy's Castle_. Finn had smashed the game and started a huge fight- the only time he had ever actually tried to hurt his bro. They had soon patched things up after having a dream about how to beat The Farm, and then using what they'd learned to defeat him, but this time was different. Finn was far angrier this time, and the reason was simple: Princess Bubblegum was in danger.

Bonnibel Bubblegum was the beautiful ruler of the Candy Kingdom, and although Finn had given up on her as a potential girlfriend (and was perfectly happy with Flame Princess), he still harbored some feelings for her. He still felt the need to protect her at all costs, although that might have just been his heroic nature.

"NO!" said Finn, PB's about to be eaten by a pumpkin and we have to save her!" He grabbed Beemo so Jake couldn't make another stab at the button. "Now get off your lazy buns and come on!"

"Whoa, dude, chill," said Jake calmly, "PB knows how to take care of herself. She'll probably just brew up some science thing and blow the pumpkin up or melt it or somethin'."

"You just don't give a crud anymore, do you?" Finn yelled, "You don't care about adventuring or being a hero! You just wanna sit on your stupid, lazy butt and play stupid pointless games all day! You're useless, you know that! I'm sick of it, man, sick!" Finn was breathing heavily, his eyes beginning to bulge.

"OK," said Jake, finally standing up, "I'm gonna go stay with Lady for a while." Lady Rainicorn was Jake's girlfriend and he often went to stay with her to escape his problems at home.

"Don't even bother coming back! I plopping HATE you!" Finn shouted. "I don't ever wanna see you again you stupid, worthless MUTT!"

"Fine!" Jake snapped hotly, "I don't need you anyway. You're always making everything so heavy, man. It's messin' me up." His arm stretched up the stairs and came back clutching Jake's viola. With that, he turned his back on Finn and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

Finn stood there in shock and anger, not yet comprehending what had just happened. What he had just done. Not realizing that the price of goodbye could be terrible…

His mind gave a sudden jolt and he remembered the trouble in the Candy Kingdom. He ran out the door, grabbing his pack and sword on the way, and sped off for Princess Bubblegum's domain.

He saw the kingdom approaching and could smell the sweet scent wafting from its sugary architecture. This was one of his favorite smells- it always lifted his spirits and cleared his head. It wafted from the buildings, the large bubbles blown by the massive Gumball Guardians which floated around the kingdom like clouds at all times, and from the cotton candy trees. Even the people smelled like this, as they were all made of candy too. Finn ran through the town, seeing the destruction the pumpkin had caused. Houses were smashed in, the ground had been ripped up in places, and most tellingly of all there was no one in sight.

Finn reached the castle and ran through what remained of the pretzel gates and ran into the courtyard to find a sight that chilled him to the core.

Princess Bubblegum was dangling high above the ground by her long pink hair, which was clasped in the powerful orange claw of the pumpkin beast. She screamed as it opened its great maw and bellowed, preparing to drop her in and snap her.

"PB!" Finn shrieked, and rushed forward, sword in hand. "Let her go, you big freak!" He began hacking furiously at the pumpkin's legs, but even his powerful demonic sword bounced ineffectively off the pumpkin's tough hide. _What the plum_, thought Finn, _why won't this work?_"

Another scream rent the air. Finn turned just in time to see the pumpkin, surprised by the sudden attack, let go of the princess. Finn saw her fall in slow motion and caught her in the nick of time. Relief flooded through him, though his foe had yet to be defeated. "Hi princess," he said, grinning.

"Finn, what took you so long? This pumpkin has been eating my citizens!" Just then, the pumpkin inserted one of the Banana Guards (Princess Bubblegum's personal guards and the closest thing to a police force in all of Ooo) into its mouth while the rest of stabbed at it in vain, shattering their spears.

"No time, how do we _kill _it?" asked Finn.

"Oh," said PB, taken aback, "Well, I have developed a serum that should crack the pumpkin's candy armor… Oh Glob, why did I give him that? I should've tested his mental stability before I let him go loose… I mean, look at what happened with Lemongrab. Perhaps if I could perform some more tests on this pumpkin, I-"

"Princess!" Finn yelled, "How does it work!?"

"Hmm?" The princess, lost in thought, had briefly forgotten the plan. "Right… There is a flaw in the armor near the pumpkin's stem. We'll have to pour the serum on that exact spot or it'll just roll off. I tried to do it when he grabbed me, but I dropped the bottle." She pointed to a beaker of acid green fluid on the ground nearby. "Perhaps now you're here, Jake can stretch you up…" PB paused and looked around, realizing the dog wasn't there. "Finn, where is Jake?"

Finn's heart sank. He had managed to forget about the fight, lost as he was in the thrill of adventure. He tried to sound casual and unconcerned, "He couldn't make it. Just a little under the weather, but he'll be fine soon enough."

There was no way he could tell her the truth now, when she and her people were in danger. He hoped she would believe him, hoped he had sounded convincing enough. Bubblegum's face expressed concern, which Finn took as a good sign.

"Pity. I hope he gets well soon. But now we must find a way to get my serum up there…" Bubblegum fell silent, lost in thought again. Finn could practically hear her brain whirring. Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw the solution.

A muscular cupcake was sprinting across the square toward the pumpkin. He was Mr. Cupcake, one of the princess's most loyal subjects. Finn would have to act quickly.

"Mr. Cupcake! Yo! Over here," said Finn, waving the confection over. Mr. Cupcake stopped abruptly, turned, and saw Finn beckoning him over.

"Finn the human! How may I be of assistance, good sir?" He bowed deeply, his formal nature getting the best of him even in the midst of crisis.

"I need you to throw me on top of that pumpkin," said Finn, indicating the orange behemoth which was now busily gnawing on the side of a building. "I've got some kind of science-y stuff that PB made to dump on it." Finn ran over and grabbed the bottle.

Mr. Cupcake nodded. "Ah yes, nasty piece of work is that," he said, and without further ado grabbed Finn by the ankles, spun around, and hurled the human at the pumpkin. Finn barely managed to grab the stem and steady himself. He scanned the pumpkin's armor, his eyes darting over the impregnable surface, until he located a miniscule crack just visible at the base of the stem. He uncorked the bottle and emptied the bright green fluid on top of the crack, hoping enough would seep in.

Almost immediately, the armor began to melt away, exposing soft yellow flesh beneath. Finn jumped off the pumpkin to the ground and snatched his sword. He sliced the beast's legs off and sprang aside as it came crashing down.

"Bleeeeaaaaarrgh!" screamed Finn as he lifted his sword and plunged its glowing blade deep into the pumpkin. He tore a huge hole in the monster's side and several candy people spilled out, covered in disgusting yellow-orange slime.

Finn's adrenaline began to ebb and his knees gave way. He almost collapsed to the ground, but before he could, Princess Bubblegum swept him into a tight hug. She kissed him on the cheek and exclaimed, "My hero! How can I ever repay you for what you have done?"

"Don't worry about it," said Finn, struggling to free himself from PB's arms. Under different circumstances, he would have given anything for this kind of attention (especially from Princess Bubblegum), but reality had begun to take hold of him again, and his spirits had sunk. "I just need to go back home…" The dejection in his voice was obvious.

The princess set him down. "Finn, what's wrong?" she asked, truly concerned for her friend and hero.

"Nothing!" snapped Finn and instantly regretted it. "Sorry, princess. I didn't mean to yell… But I need to go."

"OK, Finn. You're welcome anytime if you need to talk."

"Thanks," said Finn. He turned back toward home, shoulders slumped.

Princess Bubblegum watched him go with tears in her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

4

Finn returned to the Treehouse and barely made it inside. He collapsed in a heap on the sofa, miserable and exhausted. He could fight it no longer, he let his emotion take over and wept harder than he ever had before. Even more than when Princess Bubblegum had spurned his advances and he had met Flame Princess. He had lost his best friend- his brother- probably forever. And the worst thing was it was all his fault. He felt ashamed and stupid; it all poured out from his eyes until he was lying in a sizable puddle. Sleep overtook him without his knowledge and he started to dream…

_He was chasing Jake down a long, featureless hallway. Every time he got close to the dog, Jake would vanish and reappear farther down the corridor. Eventually Finn began calling Jake's name, but Jake did not slow or turn around. Finn's desperation grew and he yelled even louder. He screwed his eyes shut and ran on blindly until he collided with something. Jake had stopped running. He didn't speak, but reached up and laid a reassuring hand on Finn's shoulder. Everything was all right…_

Finn awoke with a start and felt a cool hand on his shoulder. "Jake?" he asked blearily.

"Uh, no. What's up with you anyway?" said a female voice.

Finn looked up into a pale, fanged face, surrounded by a shiny mass of black hair. Marceline the Vampire Queen was sitting next to him on the sofa, looking uncharacteristically concerned. Finn flopped on his face so she wouldn't see that he'd been crying. She didn't mention, though she could see the wet stains on the couch and smell his tears. "I don't want to talk to anybody, Marceline. Please go away," said Finn, his voice muffled.

"Look, Finn, I know what happened, and I'm not leaving," said Marceline, grabbing Finn under the arms and sitting him upright. "You don't have to let this be the end. Jake came by and told me all about it. He hates it as much as you do. And I don't like to see you guys fighting. You guy are, like, the only real friends I have, even if you are dweebs. Go talk to him. I think he'll listen."

"You don't get it, Marcy. I can't just go talk to him and make everything better. I junked up big time and I want to be alone forever." Finn sighed heavily.

"I don't think so. You're going to talk to him. Right now," said the vampire, picking him up and placing him on his feet.

_I might as well just get it over with. She won't stop,_ thought Finn. His exhaustion was replaced with confusion. Marceline was one of his best friends, to be sure, but she'd never been the most caring person. Finn suspected a trick, as she had always enjoyed playing jokes on him and Jake. She had once convinced them that she had made them vampires. That had worked so well that they had almost gotten their entrails sucked out by ghosts. But, on that same occasion, Marceline had at least been apologetic, and it had seemed genuine enough. Finn made a tentative decision to trust her for the time being.

Marceline was holding out Finn's pack and sword. She unzipped the pack and Finn saw a pie inside. He could tell it was one of Tree Trunks' masterpieces. It was still hot and steaming.

"Peace offering," said Marceline. "Something to break the ice always helps. And everybody knows Jake loves pie."

Finn half-smiled. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all.

It was dark and cloudy with a slight chill in the air when Finn walked outside, as if the weather were reflecting his feelings. He almost lost his resolved, but steadied himself with a deep breath. Marceline handed him his pack and sword and he felt himself being lifted into the air.

"Wha...?" said Finn.

"Shut up, I know what I'm doing. Just try to relax," said Marceline as she glided over the fields. She was flying toward Candy Kingdom- from their height, the castle's towers were already visible.

Suddenly, Finn realized what she was doing. She was taking him to Lady Rainicorn's house. He supposed Jake had told her he was going there too. Finn wondered what kind of reaction his appearance would get, not only from Jake himself, but from Lady. The last thing he needed was someone else to reprimand him, even if he couldn't understand a word of it.

Marceline's travels over the past few centuries had served her well. She knew exactly where she was going. Before long they touched down in front of Lady's house.

"Go on," said Marceline, shoving him forward. She then turned into a bat and started to fly away.

"Wait! Marcy, aren't you going to stay?" asked Finn, hoping he would have some support during his ordeal.

"I'll be close, but I'm not gonna get involved. It'll be better if you do it one on one," whispered Marceline and she flapped into the trees.

Finn hadn't expected to be abandoned at this crucial moment. He stood in front of Lady's door, unsure of how to approach the situation. After several moments of deliberation, he strode forth and knocked on the door. He was soon greeted by a pink nose peeking out, followed by a horned head. Lady appeared groggy, her eyes clouded with sleep.

_Leave it to Marceline to decide to do this when everybody's asleep_, thought Finn. "Hi Lady, sorry I woke you up, but this is kinda important. I need to see Jake. Can you get him?"

Lady began speaking rapid Korean, shaking her head vigorously. Finn couldn't understand a word, but he was sure she was telling him Jake absolutely did not want to see him. Lady stopped speaking, seemed to realize that Finn couldn't understand her and said in faltering English, "Jake a-not here."

Finn knew Lady to be honest and trustworthy, so he was inclined to believe Jake really wasn't there. "Have you seen him at all?" Finn asked. He was beginning to get worried.

Lady shook her head and said something else. Finn, determined to find out where Jake was, knew what he had to do. "Hang on Lady. I'll be back soon."

He moved into the shade of the trees. "Marceline?" he called softly, "You still there?" There was a fluttering of wings and a "poof" behind him. He turned to find Marceline staring at him.

"Not there, huh?" she asked.

"No. And I can't understand anything Lady says. Can you take me to see Princess Bubblegum so I can get her to translate?"

"Ugh… Can't it wait?"

Finn's eyes grew huge and pleading. Marceline sighed and frowned. A meeting with Bonnibel was the last thing she wanted right now. They were always strained and awkward, though she tried her best not to show it. She relented under his gaze. "OK, if it's that important to you, let's go," she said. _I can always just hide if I need to_, she thought.

"Alright, dweeb, hang on."

Finn wrapped his arms tight around her waist and she took off, gliding silently above the fluffy pink tops of the cotton candy trees. As they approached the castle, Finn could see that the windows were all dark. He hoped the princess would understand why he was waking her up. He trusted her to understand the importance of his mission and help him.

Marceline dropped Finn through a window directly into PB's bedroom, looked at him for a moment, thinking, and then pulled him back out of the window and into a tight embrace. "Good luck Finn," she whispered in his ear. "If you need anything, you know where to find me." She kissed him on the cheek and deposited him back in the princess's room, feeling relief that she would not have to deal with Bonnie, but guilt at abandoning her friend. It was an alien feeling.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Finn noticed some pictures of himself on PB's walls. It emboldened him to see them, for it told him she was likely to help without getting too upset.

Finn crept up to PB's bed. She looked peaceful in her sleep, all the cares of ruling a kingdom gone for now, lost in the realm of dreams. Finn felt a stirring inside him, like his old love for her was rekindling, but the moment passed quickly. He shook her shoulder gently. "Princess? Priiiiiiiincess? Wake up, it's important." He shook a bit harder.

Bubblegum's eyes snapped open. "Who the plum…? Finn! What are you doing here!? How did you even get in!?" she asked in surprise.

"Uh… Marceline sorta… flew me in through the window…" Finn said sheepishly.

"Marceline!? What is going on!? What is _she_ doing here!?" The princess was becoming visibly upset.

"She's not here anymore! She left! But I need your help. I'm sorry princess, but it's urgent. Jake's-gone-and-I-can't-find-him-and-he-said-he-was-going-to-stay-with-Lady-and-Marcy-took-me-to-see-her-and-she-said-he's-not-there-but-I-can't-understand-what-she's-saying-and-I-need-your-help-will-you-please-come-please-please-plase?" Finn's words tumbled out in one breath. He heaved, trying to catch his breath.

PB stared at him.

"OK, I understand. I'll go." Finn turned to walk away.

"Wait Finn. Of course I'll help. Let's go find Jake. Wait outside while I dress more appropriately."

Finn stood outside the door until the princess emerged. "Let's go," she said, stifling a yawn.

As they made their way into the forest, neither of them speaking, Finn found himself wishing Marceline was still there. Flying was much faster than having to walk. The first faint glow of dawn was on the horizon, though, and Finn knew she must have gone back home to avoid melting in the sun.

They stopped in front of Lady's house, and Finn grabbed PB's hand on impulse. To his surprise, she did not try to loosen his grip and even gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Thanks, princess," was all he could say.

"Of course, Finn. I know how important this is to you. To all of us, really." She released his hand and walked up to Lady's door. Finn trailed behind her and waited as she knocked on the door. He saw Lady's head appear.

"Hi Lady," said PB. "Jakes gone missing and we need your help. I don't suppose you've seen him?"

Lady shook her head and spoke rapidly. Finn could make no sense of it, but Princess Bubblegum seemed to be able to. She nodded in places, taking in the information.

As they conversed, Finn's mind began to wander and he found himself mulling over one horrid possibility after another. He saw images of dark creatures in the night, of traps and dungeons, of the ultimate evil itself… _What if The Lich got Jake?_ he thought. That was unbearable. He knew no one could survive an encounter like that. He was so lost in thought it took him a moment to notice a pink figure standing over him, babbling in a language Finn couldn't quite understand.

"Finn? Finn, are you even paying attention?" asked Bubblegum.

Finn returned to reality. "Huh? Sorry princess, I was just thinking. What is it?"

PB rolled her eyes, her exasperation obvious. "I said that Lady hasn't seen Jake at all in three days, but she has seen the Ice King snooping around here more often than usual. She thinks is possible he took Jake back to his castle as a prisoner."

Relief flooded through Finn. If that was indeed what had happened, there was nothing to worry about. Ice King didn't usually pose much of a threat- in fact, he was rather stupid most of the time. Finn was certain Ice King had captured Jake in a lame attempt to lure him to some insipid "friendship party" or something. Finn would just give the old man a firm talking to, or if that didn't work he'd knock the crown off of Ice King's head and beat him up until he released Jake. Easy.

"We'll have Jake back in an hour!" exclaimed Finn, a real smile appearing for the first time since the argument.

"Don't forget, there are other poss-," began PB, but Finn cut her off. The feeling of adventure had overtaken him.


	3. Chapter 3

2

**Author's note: **Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad to see some people are reading this and gladder still for the feedback. Unfortunately, I can really only work on this when no one is around so updates may be infrequent as I am not a very good typist lol. But, I will note that the entire thing is in fact written, I just have to type and post it, which will speed things up. Also, would anybody be interested in seeing a list of the music I listened to while writing this? I find it interesting sometimes. As before, please review- good or bad, doesn't matter.

"C'mon, princess, let's go!" Finn called over his shoulder as he ran to where Lady was waiting. He sprang onto Lady's back and Bubblegum climbed up behind him, irritated because he had ignored her, but unwilling to take his hope away.

Lady launched into the air, climbing high above the trees until the snow-capped mountains of the Ice Kingdom were just visible on the horizon, illuminated by the morning's first soft glow.

They soared above the fluffy pink tops of the Cotton Candy trees, which soon gave way to the verdant fields of the Grasslands. Eventually, the grass and trees were replaced with iron gray water as the crossed the ocean to the Ice Kingdom. The Ice King's mountain lair loomed ahead, taller than the rest of the peaks surrounding it. It might have been a more imposing sight had an actual threat dwelled within, but as it was the sight made Finn laugh. His goal was almost close enough to reach out and grab.

Lady flew in through a window and landed on the frigid floor of the castle. The old man was nowhere to be seen, no doubt still asleep at this early hour.

"I'm gonna go see if Ice King's got Jake in his prison," whispered Finn.

"Be careful, Finn. There might be traps or alarms, and you never know when he might come out here," said PB.

"Psssh, I'm not worried about that old poot. I've dealt with him so much before it's almost too easy," said Finn dismissively.

He crept forward, avoiding the detritus strewn all over the floor. _Glob, this dude's messy_, thought Finn as he scanned the numerous empty pizza boxes, discarded plates, and other trash. His foot found something soft. He looked down to see that he had stepped on a pair of Ice King's filthy underwear. "OH! EEEEYYYUUUCK!" he screamed without thinking.

Realizing his mistake too late, Finn clapped his hands over his mouth, but it was too late. "_Alarm! Alarm! Alarm!_" screeched an unseen Ice Toad, an alarm system set up by the Ice King to detect intruders. Light then flooded the chamber, and Finn saw Lady and Peebles staring at him, looking shocked and mildly angry.

"Wha…? Who's there? Gunter, did you trigger the alarm again? Daddy told you not to go out you silly penguin," came the Ice King's voice. Soon after, the man himself appeared, a blue night cap in place of his magic crown. "Gunter? Where are you? You better get back-"

Before he could finish, Finn had pounced on him, sending them both tumbling to the floor. He punched the Ice King on the nose and said, "What did you do with Jake you old scum-sucker?"

"Finn!? What the… What are you talking about!?" Ice King asked, surprised by the sudden assault.

"I know you've got him! Start talking!" Finn resumed punching. Ice King sputtered and spat, squirming beneath the raining blows.

"I already told you, I don't have him! Stop punching me," the old man pleaded. Finn continued, heedless. "Augh! OW! I swear I haven't even seen him anywhere!"

Finn felt himself being lifted off of the Ice King, his arms flailing in midair. "Let me know! I'll beat him till he talks!"

"No, Finn," said Princess Bubblegum's voice. "Stop this. You're consumed with anger, so you're not thinking clearly. The Ice King clearly doesn't know what you're talking about. He doesn't have Jake."

Finn ceased his struggling and the princess put him down. "You believe this old jerk?" he asked, still seething.

"Yes," said PB. "He's done many terrible things, but he's always admitted it, has he not? He certainly would have under that kind of… pressure."

Finn processed what the princess was saying, thinking hard, trying to dispute her. He could not. The reality of the situation was all to clear, and Finn had no choice but to accept it. The news was devastating. He had been so sure the Ice King had had his friend that he had refused to consider any alternatives. He had no idea what to do now. Once again he lacked direction, and there was no one to guide him. Certain he had lost, he stared at the floor, oblivious to all but his pain.

"Finn, look out!" cried Bubblegum. Finn paid no attention. The Ice King had snuck away and returned with his crown and was now firing frozen projectiles from his hands. They clattered to the floor all around Finn, who still refused to move.

"STOP!" Princess Bubblegum's imperious voice rang out and echoed through the chamber. "Leave Finn alone! He has no idea what happened to his best friend, and the reason he suspected you should be obvious. This is what you get for being such a big, ugly jerk! I should have just let him beat you to a pulp."

"Well, fine. I missed on purpose anyway," said Ice King, hurt. "But now you can all just get of my castle!"

The princess lifted Finn onto Lady's back and climbed up herself. They took off out the window. "Take us back to Candy Castle, Lady," said PB. "Thanks you for your help." She patted the Rainicorn on the head.

Finn lay draped limply across Lady's back. The only thing keeping him from plummeting to his death was Bubblegum's tight grip on him. He wasn't really conscious of what was going on around him, lost as he was in the darkness of his troubled thoughts. His hurt was beyond emotion- beyond any expression at all. It was a deep ache in his very core that burned and chilled him at once. He hated the world, and everyone in it, but mostly he hated himself. His best friend had disappeared, there would be no finding him, and it was all his fault.

The trio touched down in the princess's bedroom, now illuminated by the bright morning sun streaming through the windows. Lady spoke urgently.

"We'll find him," said Bubblegum, trying to console Lady. "There's a whole land out there to search, and we've only just started. We will find him."

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the brevity of this chapter. I've been pressed for time, and this seemed like a good cutoff point. Hopefully the next will be posted soon.


	4. Chapter 4

4

**Author's Note: **Here is a list of the music I listened to during the composition of this story. A few songs here and there were influential in places, but not in any significant way, just a line or two. I highly recommend all of these albums, though.

Animals as Leaders: _Animals as Leaders_

Avenged Sevenfold: _Waking the Fallen; Avenged Sevenfold_

Buckethead: _Colma; Enter the Chicken_

Coheed and Cambria: _The Afterman: Ascension; the Afterman: Descension_*

Death Cab for Cutie: _Plans_

Disturbed: _Believe_

Flyleaf: _New Horizons_

Mastodon: _Remission_

*All of Coheed's stuff is fantastic. Easily top 5 favorite bands ever. Definitely check them out.

Also, I'm sorry if my chronology's a bit screwy. It's as accurate as I can make it without doing detailed research that I don't feel like doing. Ha ha. Anyway, on with the story…

Marceline the Vampire Queen hid in the shadows of the Candy Castle's walls, invisible. She watched as Lady Rainicorn approached, with Bonnibel and Finn in tow, and flew through one of the windows. She saw how dazed Finn looked and felt the alien twinge of genuine concern again. She sighed and flew in through the main gate, sweeping her sunhat off as she entered the castle…

Finn vaguely registered the sensation of being dropped onto something soft and warm. Through the fog of misery, he saw a pink haired beauty he halfway recognized and felt her remove his hat, pack, and sword and smooth his hair. He heard her speak as if from far away, her words indistinct. He gave up and let himself fall back into the void.

_A thousand images flashed past. A yellow pup and a small human boy, cuddling with their mother or walking in the woods with their father. Memories… Haunting him, making him ache… Epic battles, time spent with his brother just doing nothing, all jumbled together. It was hard to tell where one ended and the next began. Each one like a physical blow… He saw monsters and demons and mutants- evil of all kinds. He saw princesses and an ice blue king. He saw a raven-haired vampire lady, and something resembling a strange purple cloud, but nothing registered except his best and at times only friend. Now he was gone and it was driving Finn insane… He could feel his mind slipping…_

Princess Bubblegum sat in the dim light of her bedroom, watching her grieving hero toss and turn in her bed. She saw the pain written clearly across his face and wanted nothing more than to relieve it. Her scientific mind whirred with possibility. She needed something to break him out of his hopeless state and see that all was not lost. Something that would make him eagerly rejoin the search for Jake. It was time to go to work. She brushed Finn's hair out of his face again. "Sleep, hero. Everything will be alright."

She left the room and made her way along the corridor, exchanging brief pleasantries and waving at her citizens. Automatic behavior, ingrained by her years of ruling the kingdom. She walked until she reached the medical wing and entered. The pristine white walls gleamed in the light, the beds were all made, the sheets crisp and unused. This was exactly what she wanted to see. No patients meant the doctors weren't busy.

"Doctor Ice-cream?" called Bubblegum. She heard a rustling and the doctor emerged from behind a curtain.

"Oh, hello princess. What brings you here?" asked Dr. Ice-cream.

"I need to know if we have an rejuvenation serum left. It's very important.," said PB.

"Oh dear, let me look," said the doctor. She disappeared into a closet. Princess Bubblegum heard the clinking of bottles as Dr. Ice-cream rummaged around. After a few moments, she emerged. "I'm afraid we used the last of it on the pumpkin victims. There's simply none left. I'm very sorry princess."

"Hmmm… I'll have to brew some more I suppose. Can you spare anyone?"

"I believe Dr. Princess is available. We aren't very busy."

"Good. Send her to my bedroom. Finn the human is asleep in there. He's quite distressed and I don't want him to be alone if he wakes. Thank you doctor," said the princess.

As she made her way to her laboratory, here mind was abuzz. She recalled formulas and ingredients, thought of Finn, of where next to search for Jake. She was so distracted that she walked straight into a figure in her path.

"Jeez, Bonnie, don't you look where you're going?" said a voice that brought an instant frown to Bubblegum's face.

"What are you doing here Marceline?" she asked, her tone darkening.

"I'm here to see Finn. He's my friend too, you know."

"He's sleeping. He's safe and I already have Dr. Princess looking after him. You may go now," said PB firmly.

Marceline's eyes caught fire- literally. "Listen to me, Bubblegum," she snapped, "Finn is my friend, and trust me, being a thousand years old has taught me a few things about loss. I know how he feels and understand it a lot better than you do and he needs someone who can help him through it. So here I am. I am capable of caring, whether you believe it or not!"

Princess Bubblegum was stunned. She'd experienced plenty of Marceline's angry outbursts, but never one like this. "Okay, Marcy… I'm sure Dr. Princess can find something else to do. I apologize, I just didn't know…"

Marceline's eyes extinguished and she softened. Bonnibel hadn't called her Marcy in quite some time. "I'm sorry too. You didn't deserve that. I know you're just trying to look out for Finn, and I don't exactly have the best history.

Bubblegum stepped forward and pulled the vampire into a hug before hse could protest. "It's fine. Go see him. Send Dr. Princess back to the infirmary. I'm going to go make something to help Finn feel better so we can go find Jake." She released Marceline and turned to go.

Marceline was blushing furiously. She hadn't shared a decent relationship with Bonnie in years, had been a total jerk at times now that she thought about it, but Bonnie was the one who had apologized to her. Marceline was beginning to question herself. She had been ever since her last encounter with Ice King (though she still thought of him as Simon). He had been her only friend until she'd met Bonnibel Bubblegum almost 600 years later. And she'd ruined their friendship because she'd been too afraid to care, or at least to show it. The pain she'd suffered had made her afraid of loss. More afraid than anything, and she'd learned to cope by putting up thick walls. She knew the pain of loss well. She'd experienced it when her own parents had abandoned her and when Simon had gone mad with power. The feeling of emptiness and being completely alone…

It had started to change when she'd met Finn. True, she'd been rather cruel to him too, but she never meant to permanently hurt him. But she'd found herself lowering her guard more and more around him, telling him things that she'd not even told Bonnie. He'd heard her sing about her dad, a very personal subject, and she had trusted him enough to let him listen. She decided it was time to change. To not be afraid to care anymore. She would help Finn through this to the end. She would be there if he needed her, like no one had been for her in so long. She would do it for him, and for herself too.

She turned and floated down the corridor and followed the once familiar path to Bonnibel's room. When she reached the door, she knocked until she heard a voice call, "Who is it?" from within.

"Uh, Marceline here to see Finn. Bonn- er, Princess Bubblegum sent me"

The door opened onto a dark room. Dr. Princess peered at Marceline suspiciously. She was unaccustomed to having strange vampires show up unannounced at the princess's bedroom door. "Here to see Finn, right?" asked the doctor.

"Yes," said Marceline. "The princess told me to come stay with him and send you back to the infirmary."

"We'll see about that," said Dr. Princess, pulling a communicator out of her pocket. She tapped it, it beeped for a moment, and Princess Bubblegum's holographic head rose from the device.

"Yes doctor? Make it quick, please. I'm very busy," said PB's head.

"Sorry, princess. There's someone out here calling herself Marceline who says you sent her to see Finn. Is that true?"

"Oh, yes," said the princess. "I should have called you in advance. Yes, let her stay and you get back to the infirmary."

"Right away. Thanks princess," said the doctor, and deactivated the communicator. "OK, in you go," she said to Marceline, smiling somewhat sarcastically.

Marceline rolled her eyes and floated in past the doctor without a word. She heard the door shut behind her and looked around. The room looked almost the same as she remembered. A few new pictures here and there, as well as some she remembered. She felt a pang as her eyes found a picture of herself with Bonnibel, taken years ago. It hadn't moved since she'd last been here. _She kept it…_ Marceline shook the thought- now wasn't the time to deal with that. There was a more pressing matter at hand. Her gaze soon fell upon Finn, lying completely still, his face screwed up and wet with- she sniffed at the air- sweat. His hat and other belongings lay on a nearby table.

She floated over to him. "Finn," she said softly, "can you hear me?" A drop of water fell from above onto Finn's face. She was perplexed for a moment until she realized it had fallen from her own eye. "Oh…" was all she could say. She lowered herself next to Finn and put a hand on his forehead. His skin felt hot, almost feverish. She draped her arm over him protectively. He took no notice. Marceline was unsure of what to do so she stayed there and let centuries of torment fall from her eyes…

**Author's Note: **Not a very uplifting story, is it? But I like that kind of thing, and as I wrote the it, I suppose it makes a certain amount of sense.


	5. Chapter 5

3

**Author's Note: **I included asterisks to mark the beginnings of different sections/perspective changes. Apparently this site erases all of my formatting, so that seemed like a good way to indicate it.

*Princess Bubblegum worked furiously, grabbing bottles and measuring precise amounts, consulting her extensive notes, mixing and stirring as fast as she dared. One mistake and she could end up poisoning Finn or putting him into an irreversible sleep. _I hope he's okay_, she thought.

What she saw next was both shocking and reassuring. She happened to glance up at a monitor in an upper corner of her lab. She had a camera in her bedroom, which sent a live feed to the monitor so she could make sure no one was snooping around in there unauthorized while she worked. The room was dark, the windows closed tight against the sun, but she could see well enough to know that two figures were lying huddled together in her bed. One was Finn the human, whom she had taken there after he had suffered some sort of mental breakdown and the other, as the princess could tell by the large mass of black hair, was Marceline the Vampire Queen, one arm draped around Finn. Both appeared fast asleep. Bubblegum smiled and returned to work…

*Marceline's eyes popped open. She was staring at a mop of tousled golden hair, just inches from her face. It took her a moment to register what she was seeing, where she was, and why her face felt as if it had been brined. She determined that she had fallen asleep with her arm around the flaxen haired human, Finn- in Bonnibel's bed. The thought triggered memories that made her eyes burn and she knew she had wept in her sleep. _Oh Glob, _she thought, _What's happening to me?_ The carefree, wild, sometimes unintentionally cruel Marceline was beginning to be replaced by one who was finally feeling the effects of 600 years of suppressed emotional pain. Her façade was crumbling, and she was determined to let it. She would deal with herself later, however, for now her only concern was Finn. She moved even closer to him, and began to sing softly in his ear…

…_Something was interrupting the torrent of memories. A sweet sound of solace, almost seeming to resolve into words at times. Finn's mind paused and allowed the sound to take precedence. It began to clarify and became a clear and beautiful melody. A small part of Finn's mind recognized the voice. He followed its sound up from the depths and out of the dark towards wakefulness…_

Finn woke to the sound of Marceline's voice in his ear. She was singing, just barely above a whisper, while one hand stroked his hair. He was in no hurry for it to end, so he lay still and hoped she wouldn't notice.

She did, of course. Being possessed of supernatural senses allowed her to notice several things that ordinary people might not. Small changes in breathing and muscle tension were very apparent to her, and she could tell by a few subtle shifts that Finn was awake. She pretended not to notice and continued singing, making up the words as she went.

They stayed like that until the door cracked slightly. Marceline instinctively released Finn and sprung into the air, finding a shadowy corner to hide in.

"It's just me," said Bonnibel's voice, "I brought something to help Finn. Is he awake?"

"He was for a few minutes, but I think he's asleep again," said Marceline's voice from the corner.

The princess went over to Finn, carrying a large beaker filled with a bright yellow, bubbling concoction. "Finn," she said, "I need you to wake up and drink this." She waved the beaker in front of Finn's face so he could smell its contents.

Finn stirred slightly. "Marcy?" he mumbled.

"No. Princess Bubblegum. Marceline's still here though. I'm glad to see you awake. I have something to make you feel better."

Finn raised himself into a sitting position and found himself staring into the smiling face of the princess. He felt a whoosh of air, and Marceline appeared, floating cross-legged beside him. His two best friends were with him, and had managed to set aside their history for his benefit. The thought made him feel slightly better. He took the beaker from Bubblegum's hand and gulped the yellow serum down without question.

Warmth radiated from his core and through his limbs until it filled him completely. All his cares and worries seemed more manageable, and he was instilled with confidence again. He smiled broadly.

"How do you feel, Finn?" asked Bubblegum.

"Great!" He leapt out of bed and grabbed the princess around the waist. "Thanks princess! And thank you too, Marceline! Marceline?" Finn turned to look, but the vampire had gone. "Huh. Guess she went home. What was that stuff you gave me anyway?"

"Rejuvenation serum. I brewed it strong this time," said PB.

"Oh, okay cool! Now c'mon, we have rescuing to do!" Finn bounded forth, sword in hand, tripped on a rug and lost his grip. The glowing red blade sailed across the room, passing inches from Bubblegum's head, and lodged itself in the wall up to the hilt. "Oops. Sorry princess."

The princess giggled, even though Finn had nearly killed her. "Oh, Finn," she said, shaking her head…

*Marceline sat against a rock in her cave, thinking. Of course, it was _Bonnibel_ who got all the attention, who got all the credit. Finn hadn't even thanked her, but he'd gone gooey-eyed over the princess and gone straight to her. She felt frustrated. _All Bonnie did was brew up some stupid potion. I poured my heart and soul into that song. For him!_ She grunted in frustration and pounded her fist on the rock.

_Maybe I'm being too hard on them_, she thought. _He didn't- doesn't know anything about my past. There's no way he can really appreciate what I did… And none of this was her fault… Why do I have to be so awful?_ She sighed.

Marceline sincerely hoped that Finn knew she was his friend and that he could come to her whenever he needed to. She hoped more than anything… Marceline Abadeer, heir to the Nightosphere, daughter of pure evil, Vampire Queen, found herself in tears again. Because she had started to care again. She'd started to care about a blonde, teenage, human dweeb more than anyone or anything else, her own father included. _What is wrong with me?_ she thought, burying her face in her hands.

**Author's Note: **Once again, sorry for the short update. But this seemed like a good place to end for now. Is it depressing and/or sappy enough for you yet?


	6. Chapter 6

3

Finn and Princess Bubblegum were once again soaring through the air on Lady Rainicorn's back. They had determined the best course of action was to scour the land, asking everyone they knew about Jake. The Candy and Ice Kingdoms were out, of course. PB had ordered her Banana Guards to review all the surveillance footage from the past two days and they had come up with nothing. And Ice King would have captured Jake if he had entered the old wretch's domain.

Finn had compiled a list of likely places and people to ask. Currently, they were on the lookout for Lumpy Space Princess, who often made a camp in the woods just outside Candy Kingdom. His eyes raked the ground with intensity, focused as he was on the task at hand once again.

Princess Bubblegum watched him, smiling slightly. She had brought along more of the extra-strength Rejuvenation serum, mixed into a flask of bug milk. If the effects of his current dose began to wear off, she would suggest a break and give him another without his being any the wiser. Confident in her plan, she resumed scanning the ground below as well, looking for any sign of a camp.

It was Finn who first noticed a faint glow through a gap in the trees. "PB! Look Down there!" he exclaimed, pointing.

The princess looked in the direction Finn was indicating and saw it. She could tell from the light's flickering quality that it was a fire. "Lady, take us lower," she said, and the Rainicorn descended, circling the area around the fire. It resolved into a clearing, unkempt and strewn with garbage. The odor was evident even from above their position above the trees.

"That's gotta be LSP," said Finn. "Lady, can you take us down there?"

Lad said something Finn took to mean "yes" and swooped even lower, snaking through the trees on her way to the ground. She touched down lightly and her two passengers dismounted, picking their way between bushes and piles of filth.

Finn could see LSP, her back turned on them. He noticed that they were approaching her camp from almost exactly the same position as he and Jake had once before. Marceline had tricked them into believing they were vampires and they had snuck up on LSP in an attempt to scare her. Somehow the thought of his friend didn't hurt as bad as he expected.

Finn's musings were interrupted when Bubblegum stepped on a branch. The sound rent the air like a gunshot. LSP started and turned around, eyes wide.

"Oh mah Glob! Who's there? Stay away or I swear I'll lumping kill you!" shoutes LSP in alarm.

"Relax," said Finn. "Just me and Peebles." Princess Bubblegum waved.

"We kinda need to ask you something important," said Finn.

"Ugh! Like, fine," said LSP, rolling her eyes.

Princess Bubblegum took over. "Jake has gone missing. We've been searching for him for two days and we were wondering if you might have seen him anywhere?"

LSP thought for a moment. "Nah," she said, "but I totally heard him earlier. He was being really loud and he woke me up! I was like, 'what the lump?' He was yelling about going to the Fire Kingdom to tell somebody what a jerk _you _are." She pointed at Finn.

Finn felt a tiny stab of guilt, which was quickly overwhelmed by new thoughts. _Marcy tricked me… Jake never saw her after he left! She must have been hiding in the Treehouse the whole time and saw it happen- that's how she knew… But why is she acting like she is now if-_

His thought was once again cut short by PB. "What is she talking about, Finn?"

"Uh… I sorta got into it with Jake a couple days ago and he left. Said he was going to Lady's, but he must have decided to go tell Flame Princess instead. Marceline said he went and told her, but she was lying because she said he had calmed down and-"

"Finn! If Jake's gone to tell Flame Princess we have to try to stop him! You know how unstable she is, and if he presents you in a bad light and makes her mad she'll explode!" PB said urgently.

"Oh Glob!" said Finn. "Lady, come on, we need to hurry!"

The earth trembled beneath them as a massive explosion set the distant horizon aglow.

*Marceline opened her eyes and she felt the ground shake. She was still sitting against the rock in her cave, thinking. Now she wondered what had caused the explosion. She could see the fiery glow in the distance.

She immediately thought of Finn and (to a lesser degree) Bonnie. She had to make sure they were safe. She launched herself into the air, out of her a cave and into the night, her long ebony hair flapping wildly in a sudden warm breeze.

*Lady Rainicorn raced toward the Fire Kingdom, Finn and Bubblegum trying desperately to hold onto her undulating back. The air grew hotter with every second and Finn knew why.

The princess of the Fire Kingdom was a very hot-headed and temperamental individual. Any emotion at all could easily trigger a cataclysmic reaction if she felt it strongly enough. She had come close to burning Finn and Jake alive numerous times and had even set fire to an entire village simply because she thought Finn was toying with her emotions. She was a force to be reckoned with. Finn was certain that Jake had said something to set her off.

_Oh no,_ Finn thought_, what did he do? What did _I _do?_

His suspicions were soon confirmed. Flame Princess, at least four times her usual size, was rampaging across the plain ahead.

"Lady, let me down!" Finn yelled. He jumped off her back four feet above the ground and rolled up onto his feet. As he ran across the burning plain toward his girlfriend, he called, "You guys stay here! I have to deal with this," over his shoulder.

"FP! STOP!" he screamed. Flame Princess paused and looked down at him. "You'll burn the whole world up if you keep doing this!"

The heat lessened as FP shrunk to her normal size. She stood still as Finn approached, her face unreadable.

"FP, what-" Finn began.

"YOU JERK!" Flame Princess shrieked. "How could you do that to your best friend!? What does that say about you!? I should have known you were bad news, but I let you fool me!" She shot a fireball at Finn. He ducked but one of the ears on his hat was singed off.

"I don't ever want to see you again! Stay away from me! You made me do this! IT'S YOUR FAULT! If you hadn't been so mean, this wouldn't have happened. YOU made me kill him! YOU!" she roared. Streaks of flaming tears flowed from her eyes, burning the grass.

"What?" said Finn, uncomprehending.

"Jake's dead! Because he told me what you did and I got mad. I blew up and now he's dead! Are you happy!?" yelled FP.

"Jake…" the color drained out of Finn's face as the news sank it. It couldn't be true… Not this… Not now…

"He's dead, you idiot," FP sobbed, the grass at her feet now completely burned away. "And I'm sorry for him. Sorry for what I did, but not for you! You deserve to hurt. Goodbye, Finn the human JERK!" She turned and walked away, leaving a trail of fire in her wake.

**Author's note: **Probably only one more long chapter after this. Please let me know what you think about this turn of events.


	7. Chapter 7

5

Princess Bubblegum had begun the slow process of hauling Lady Rainicorn back to the Candy Kingdom on her shoulders. They had both heard everything Flame Princess had said and Lady was devastated and unable to move. The father of her unborn children, her true love, her companion, was dead. Gone forever. Lady thought she knew why Rainicorns had liked to eat humans. If they were all like Finn, there was no use for them.

The princess was exhausted. She had hardly slept since the ordeal began, she was stressed, and now she was confused. She was unsure of how she felt about Finn… Her hero had turned on his own best friend and kicked him out, but he had tried to find Jake… But Finn had, it seemed, vicariously caused Jake's death. She didn't know whether to be angry with him or sorry for him. She shook her head and trudged on. _No time to think now…_

*What Lady and the princess hadn't seen was Finn collapsing to the ground. What they hadn't heard were his cries of anguish. But someone else had.

Marceline had seen the entire exchange between Finn and the fire woman from high up in a nearby tree. She had almost rushed to Finn's aid a few times, but had decided he was in no real danger and that it was best for him to handle it, a decision she had soon begun to regret. She had heard about Jake and seen Bonnibel hoist the Rainicorn onto her shoulders and turn away without a second glance. She had seen Finn standing still, but at least he had been on his feet and seemed to have his wits about him. _Maybe he'll be okay_, she had thought. Then his legs had given way and he had crumpled to the ground face first. His screams, muffled by the earth, had been audible to Marceline's supernatural hearing.

She waited until Finn fell silent, at least half an hour- maybe longer, and swooped down from the tree. She sat on the scorched earth and bundled Finn into her arms, determined not to leave him alone in his fragile state. She could feel his tears soaking her shirt and the heat radiating from his face. But most of all she could feel around him an aura of absolute anguish and loss.

Awkwardly, Marceline stood and lifted into the air, never losing her grip. All of Finn's strength had been sapped and he hung limp in her arms as she glided smoothly back toward the Treehouse. She had debated taking him home with her, but had come up with another, better plan. She would stay with him for awhile, then let him decide what he wanted for himself.

The vampire knew she was all he had right now. She knew the Rainicorn was severely miffed at him and Bonnie would be distant at best. The fire woman had made it perfectly clear how she felt, and Jake… That was obvious. So she would allow Finn to make his choice, knowing that one would probably break her heart. Again. But she had to know. Would he come to her willingly, or would he choose to live a solitary life?

Marceline laid Finn in his bed after gliding in through a carelessly open window. She removed his hat and pack and, after looking at him for a moment, leaned over and planted a soft, lingering kiss on the lips. She could taste salt, and flesh, and something else she could only call "Finn". The sensation overwhelmed her and she drew back. _What did I just do?_ she thought. _Could this be what I think it is?_

She shook her head violently. _Can't over think this_. She floated downstairs and located a pencil and paper. She scrawled a hasty note, took it back to Finn's room, and placed it on the table nearby where he'd be sure to find it. She planted one more kiss on the sleeping human's cheek and flew out through the window.

*Dim sunlight was streaming through the windows when Finn awoke. He was exhausted and achy, like he'd spent the last two days in the middle of a fight which he'd been losing miserably.

Finn rolled over and saw a note on the table. Reluctantly he sat up and stretched, taking the paper. He scanned the brief text

_Finn, if you need a friend, you know where to find me. –M_

Misery filled him as the memory of the previous night came to him. Jake was dead, Flame Princess hated him, and Princess Bubblegum and Lady Rainicorn had left without a word. He was alone… Or was he? Somehow he had gotten back to the Treehouse without knowing it. His eyes fell on the note again.

"Marcy?" he said, hoping she would appear in a corner, or float up the stairs, ready to talk and listen. He found it strange that one of the last people he would ever have turned to with his problems was now the only person in the world he had. He realized she wasn't anywhere in the house and he would have to go to her.

Finn groaned as he stood up and snatched his singed hat off the table, forever a reminder of what had happened… He put it back down and got a new one out of the closet. _Better get going_, he thought. The walk to Marcy's house was always a long one, and it would take even longer in his deteriorated condition. Another wave of sorrow hit him as he remembered how he used to ride on Jake's back. _He could've gotten there in no time_.

Slowly, methodically, Finn replaced his pack and descended the ladder. The living room hadn't changed at all. He couldn't bear to look around and see all the reminders of his lost friend. He walked straight out the door and snapped it shut behind him, unsure if he would ever be able to return.

The sly was gray and threatening rain. It reflected Finn's mood as he trudged across the fields towards Marcy's cave. There was nothing to do but think- nothing to take his mind off things, so he tried his best to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other.

It started raining about halfway through Finn's journey, a chilly drizzle that soaked him after a few minutes. He sighed and moved on until he finally saw Marceline's cave in the distance. He broke into a weary trot.

*Marceline hung upside down from the roof of her cave as a bat, staring out at the horizon, waiting. She hoped with each passing moment that she would see Finn appear in the distance. She nearly gave up when the rain started, had in fact just decided to go back inside when she saw a tiny dark figure slowly approaching her cave. She reverted back to her normal form and smiled and she floated into her house.

*Finn was dripping, cold, and miserable when he finally entered the cave. It was no warmer inside, but at least it was dry and his journey over. The clouds made it hard to tell, but Finn thought it must be mid-afternoon based on how long it had taken him to walk to Marcy's house.

He made his weary way to Marceline's door and slumped against it, thudding his fist once. _She better be here_, he thought bitterly. _If this is one of her mind games I swear I'll…_

The door opened and he stumbled inside, straight into Marceline. "Aah!" he said, startled by her abrupt appearance.

"What? It's just me," said Marcy, raising an eyebrow.

"You surprised me," Finn panted. "I'm sorry, just a little jumpy right now." He dripped steadily on the carpet.

Marceline looked him up and down and asked, "What happened to you?" though she already knew the answer.

"It started raining. There was nowhere to stop so I just kept going. I wanted to see you."

"Aw, that's sweet, weenie." Marcy patted him on the head like a dog that had done something to please her. In fact, he had seen her do the same thing to her zombie poodle, Schwabbl. "Now, let's dry you off. Come with me." She grabbed Finn under the arms and floated up the ladder to her bedroom.

Finn felt strange standing in the middle of Marceline's room, remembering the last time he had been there. That time, he and Jake had hidden from Marcy for a long time- in her own closet. Finn felt as if a great weight had been placed on his shoulders at the thought of his friend.

"OK, first, you need a shower. You smell like a wet dog," said Marceline. "Oops, sorry.." she said, catching Finn's expression at the mention of "dog." _Why am I being like this? So careless… He came here for a friend and I'm just being a jerk_. _I've got to stop this._

"Look, Finn, I really am sorry. I don't mean to act like a jerk, but after so long it's just a bad habit I guess. I don't mean it. Now go freshen up and I'll find you something dry to wear," she said, and to herself, _No idea what, though._

"I've got extra clothes in my pack," said Finn, pulling out an exact copy of his blue shirt and shorts.

"Oh, OK. Well, give me the wet ones and I'll see what I can do with them." _Burn them, probably._ "You've been dripping all over everything since you got here." Marceline held out her hand expectantly.

"Uh, Marcy… I'd rather… not," said Finn, embarrassed.

"Finn, you know when you hid in my closet that one time?" Marcy asked, purposely not mentioning Jake.

Finn nodded, blushing.

"I know you saw me. In the bathroom. I didn't ever mention it because I didn't want to embarrass you." She had actually been saving it as ammunition for another time, but she felt now wasn't the best moment to mention that. "So hand them over." She snapped her fingers.

Reluctantly, Finn removed his sodden clothes and handed them to Marceline. He stood shivering in his underwear, feeling very vulnerable under the vampire's piercing gaze.

"There, that wasn't so bad, was it?" said Marcy, smirking. "Now go on and I'll make something to eat."

Finn turned without speaking and shuffled off to the shower, feeling Marceline's gaze on his back all the while.

*Although she could survive by sucking up shades of red, Marceline sometimes ate real food for pleasure. She had taught herself how to cook fairly well over the centuries, and so had set to work in her kitchen. She had settled on spaghetti for two reasons: the sauce was red and it had been Jake's favorite. She figured it was best if Finn learned to cope sooner rather than later, and she was going to help him do it.

The delicious aroma of the sauce filled the room and wafted through the house. Finn could smell it as he stepped back into Marcy's bedroom (now thoroughly clean and dry) and dressed. It was only then that Finn realized he hadn't eaten anything since Jake left and he was famished.

He climbed down the ladder and entered the living room, where Schwabbl was curled up on the couch. Finn stopped long enough to pet the dog a few times and receive a sleepy lick on the hand before he entered the kitchen.

"Hey Finn," said Marceline. Her back was to him, but she heard him enter. She had just finished setting the table and so turned to look at him. "Whoa, you look weird without the hat. I kinda like it. Anyway, come on and sit down. Dinner's almost ready."

Finn rubbed his head self-consciously. That hat had been his last one. He wondered what in Ooo Marceline had done with it.

As if she had read his mind. "I did what I could with your hat, but I'm afraid it shrank," Marcy lied. She had promptly taken all of Finn's wet (and none too clean) clothes and ripped them to shreds, casting the remains into the wind. "You look good without it, though." She hovered over and ruffled Finn's hair.

Finn sighed. Everything he knew from his old life seemed to be collapsing around him.

"Come on, it's not the end of the world. Just a hat. Now sit," Marcy said, pointing imperiously at the table.

Finn obeyed and plopped in a chair. Marceline watch his reaction closely as she served the spaghetti. He frowned slightly, but nothing more. Marceline could tell he was trying to conceal his true feelings from her. _Even after all I've done… Of course he was unconscious through most of it. And he doesn't know I saw him break down… I'll get him to talk soon._

Marcy sat down opposite Finn, watching him surreptitiously as he ate. He was silent and withdrawn- eyes downcast, head bowed, just going through the motions. Not the Finn she knew at all. There was no joking, no boisterous behavior, just silence with an almost palpable undercurrent of sadness. He spoke only two words. "Thanks Marcy," he said when he had finished.

"You're welcome…" Marceline hesitated. "Listen Finn, I want to talk to you. Will you let me?"

Finn wanted nothing more than to be alone and rest. To be able to think- or not think- as much as he wanted about whatever he wanted. But he also realized the value of Marcy's friendship. "Alright," he said and followed her to the living room.

Marceline gestured at the couch. "Don't worry, I put cushions on it," she said, grinning slightly at the dismay on Finn's face. They sat and She turned to look at Finn, who had fixed his eyes firmly on the floor. She moved closer and put her arm around him.

"Finn, how are you doing? And don't bother lying, I'll know."

"I'm… lousy," Finn admitted.

"I thought as much," said Marcy, "and trust me, I know how you feel. I've felt alone for a very long time… Until you came along. It's not easy, especially when you feel like everything's your fault. But you're not going to be alone, because I'm here and nothing will change that." She gripped Finn's shoulders and turned him to face her. "Look at me," she said. Finn raised his eyes to meet hers, and she saw they were glistening.

"I've not exactly been the best friend to you… OK, I've been awful, I know. I shouldn't have done it. That was just how I dealt with things. But it doesn't mean I don't care. I do now, and I really always did. I just didn't know how to say it. I'm sorry," she said, pulling him close to her.

"How can I live with myself," asked Finn into Marcy's shoulder, "when I know I'm going to regret this for the rest of my life?"

"You learn to deal. That's all you can do. It gets easier. I'll help you. I mean that. In fact, I want you to stay here with me. Will you?" Marceline held him at arm's length.

"I… You mean it?" asked Finn. She nodded and Finn knew she was being sincere.

"Then… OK, I guess. For now," said Finn.

Without warning, Marceline descended upon him and placed another kiss on Finn's lips. This time he was awake for it. His eyes widened as she broke the kiss and smiled at him. "Finn, the human. I think I love you… My friend," said Marceline.

THE END

**Author's Note: **Love it? Hate it? Let me know. The sequel is in the works, and I promise it will not be as depressing/sappy as this one. Anyway, thanks for reading.


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